His- 

UC-NRLF 


^C    13    32D 


o 

>- 


'it 


t     \ 


SPORT  FISHING  IN  CALIFORNIA  AND   FLORIDA 


From  BULI^ETIN  OF   THE  BUREAU  OF   FISHERIES,  Volume  XXVIII,   1908 

Proceedings  of   the    Fourth   Intcr?iational  Fishery    Congress     :     :      Washington,  ipo8 


WAvSHINGTON     ::::::     GOVERNMKNT    PRINTING     OFFICE 


1910 


SPORT   FISHING  IN   CALIFORNIA  AND   FLORIDA 


From  BUIvIvE'TlN  OF  THE  BUREAU  OF   FISHERIES,  Volume  XXVIII,   1908 

Proceedings  of   the    Fourth   hiterriational  Fishery    Congress     :     :      Washington,  ig>o8 


\^   C.^.    "ArA-^-^ 


WASHINGTON    ::::::     GOVERNMENT    PRINTING    OFFICE    ::::::    1910 


BUREAU  OF  nSHERIES  DOCUMENT  NO.  652 
Issued  February,  1910 


SPORT  FISHING  IN  CALIFORNIA  AND  FLORIDA 

By  Charles  F.  Holder 

Paper  presented  before  the  Fourth  International  Fishery  Congress 
held  at  Washington,    U.    S.    A.,    September    22   to    26,     1908 


199 


SPORT  FISHING  IN  CALIFORNIA  AND  FLORIDA. 

By  CHARLES  F.  HOLDER. 

It  is  not  generally  appreciated  by  the  public  that  "sport"  has  economic  value. 
By  the  unthinking  it  is  not  taken  into  account  in  the  evolution  of  a  country, 
being  considered  a  waste  of  time,  a  mere  amusement.  Yet  sport  brings  four  or 
five  million  dollars  into  the  state  of  Maine  every  year,  and  sport,  particularly 
angling,  brings  quite  as  large  a  sum  annually  to  California. 

Over  1 70,000  people  visit  the  Channel  Islands  of  California  every  year.  They 
make  the  attractive  pilgrimage  mainly  to  the  shrine  of  Walton,  for  here,  from 
Coronado  to  Santa  Barbara  and  particularly  at  Santa  Catalina  and  San  Clemente 
(a  United  States  Government  island),  is  to  be  found  the  finest  sea  angling  in 
the  world. 

Rod  and  reel  fishing  has  been  reduced  to  an  exact  science  here,  and  this  has 
been  accomplished  through  the  Tuna  Club,  an  organization  which  includes  in  its 
membership  most  of  the  notable  sportsmen  of  the  country — as  Ex- President 
Roosevelt,  Henry  Van  Dyke,  Gifford  Pinchot,  Charles  Halleck,  Casper  Whitney, 
the  late  Ex-President  Grover  Cleveland,  and  many  more.  This  club  has 
introduced  light-tackle  fishing  as  a  sportsmanlike  movement,  also  to  prevent 
the  undue  slaughter  of  fish,  and  thus  accomplishes  a  most  valuable  work  in  con- 
serving all  the  resources  of  the  ocean.  By  this  club's  efforts  business  in  fishing 
tackle  has  been  enhanced  a  thousand  times;  hundreds  of  people  find  direct 
employment  as  boatsmen  and  employees  in  allied  interests;  large  sums  are 
brought  into  the  state  from  numerous  parts  of  this  country  and  Europe  and 
sport,  or  one  feature  of  it,  has  been  elevated  and  dignified  as  a  state  and  national 
asset  of  unquestionable  importance.  In  the  present  paper  some  of  the  most 
important  of  the  great  game  fishes  of  southern  California  and  Florida  are 
described. 

AT   SANTA   CATALINA   ISLAND. 

The  black  sea  bass  of  Santa  Catalina  is  a  game  and  food  fish  which  attains 
a  weight  of  800  pounds,  averaging  250  pounds,  and  is  very  common  in  this 
locality,  living  in  and  about  the  kelp  or  nereocystean  forests  that  surround  the 
island.     It  appears  in  May  in  schools  of  six  or  seven,  breaks  up  and  is  ready  to 


202  BULLETIN   OF  THE   BUREAU   OF   FISHERIES. 

spawn  in  August.  Professional  fishermen  take  it  for  the  market  with  "cod" 
lines  and  albacore  bait,  but  the  anglers  of  the  Tuna  Club  use  24-ounce  and 
9-ounce  rods  with  a  reel  that  will  hold  1,000  feet  of  a  9-thread  Cuttyhunk  line 
made  for  the  purpose.  The  line  is  made  in  a  building  700  feet  long  and  is 
tested  to  pull  a  dead  weight  of  2  pounds  to  the  thread.  With  this  tackle  the 
anglers  go  to  the  grounds  in  launches  especially  designed  for  the  purpose,  18  or 
20  feet  long  with  8  or  10  horsepower  gasoline  engines.  In  the  stem  are  two 
comfortable  chair  seats,  one  fishing  to  the  right,  the  other  to  the  left.  On 
reaching  the  ground  the  boatman  tosses  over  the  anchor,  fixing  a  float  to  it 
that  he  can  cast  off.  The  angler  straps  on  a  belt  with  a  socket  for  the  butt  of 
his  rod,  baits  the  number  7/0  O'Shaughnessy  hook  with  half  a  barracuda,  or  a 
6-potmd  whitefish,  or  a  piece  of  albacore,  and  tosses  it  over  in  40  feet  of 
water.  He  may  have  to  wait  for  a  strike  or  he  may  get  one  immediately. 
The  strike  is  delicate,  and  when  it  comes  the  angler  pays  out  10  or  20  feet  of 
line,  then  strikes.  If  he  hooks  the  fish  there  is  a  heavy  rush  and  the  boatman 
casts  off  the  anchor  (fig.  i,  pi.  i)  and  follows  the  fish,  or  keeps  the  angler  stern  to 
it  until  he  brings  it  to  gaff,  which  may  take  an  hour  or  five,  according  to  the  fish. 
The  gaffer,  if  the  fish  is  large,  tows  it  in,  if  small  (150  pounds),  he  takes  it  on 
deck  (fig.  2,  pi.  i)  and  goes  into  port  (fig.  3,  pi.  11),  where  scores  of  people 
hurry  down  to  the  dock  to  see  the  fish  weighed. 

The  tuna  of  the  Pacific,  or  horse  mackerel,  or  tunny,  is  taken  in  the  Mediter- 
ranean in  great  nets,  miles  long,  being  driven  in,  and  the  nets  at  Sicily  are  of 
great  value.  In  America  the  tuna,  of  three  kinds,  is  taken  as  sport  and  is  also 
used  as  a  food  fish.  The  leaping  tuna  comes  into  Catalina  in  June  and  remains 
until  January.  It  is  considered  the  greatest  of  all  game  fishes.  The  tackle  is 
a  24-ounce  rod,  a  24-thread  Cuttyhunk  or  other  good  line,  and  a  large  reel  of 
\'om  Hofe  make.  The  angler  does  not  wear  a  belt,  but  has  a  socket  on  the  seat 
for  the  butt  of  the  rod.  (Fig.  5,  pi.  iii.)  Flying  fish  is  the  bait,  which  is 
trolled  about  100  feet  behind  the  boat.  Anglers  play  the  fish  and  troll  for  it. 
The}^  also  approach  the  schools  and  cast  the  heavy  bait  in  front  of  them.  The 
fish  average  1 70  pounds  (fig.  6,  pi.  iii)  and  the  record  is  251  pounds  with  the  tackle 
described.  Market  fishermen  fish  with  heavy  lines  from  sail  boats,  but  the  fish 
is  so  powerful  that  few  care  to  do  it.  The  fish  is  a  famous  leaper  before  it  is 
hooked  and  when  feeding,  and  preys  almost  exclusively  on  flying  fish  and  squid. 
It  is  found  in  all  temperate  and  semitropic  seas,  and  often  weighs  1,500  pounds. 
This  tima  is  fished  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile  offshore  on  about  4  miles  of  coast  at 
Santa  Catalina  and  has  not  been  taken  with  a  rod  in  any  other  locality.  It  has 
been  known  to  tow  a  boat  for  30  miles. 

The  albacore,  long-finned  tuna,  or  alalonga,  ranges  up  to  100  pounds  and 
is  found  in  many  localities  off  Santa  Catalina  Island.  It  lives  in  deep  water 
but  near  the  surface.     It  looks  something  like  the  blue  tuna  but  has  very  long 


SPORT   FISHING   IN   CALIFORNIA   AND   FLORIDA.  203 

pectoral  fins.  It  is  followed  by  anglers  and  taken  with  either  a  6-ounce  rod 
with  6  or  3  thread  line  (this  for  experts)  or  a  9-ounce  rod  with  9-thread  line. 
The  bait  is  sardine  and  the  fish  are  so  ravenous  that  they  will  at  times  snatch 
a  sardine  from  one's  hand,  or  the  game  can  be  hooked  at  the  side  of  the  boat 
when  the  school  is  located,  during  which  operation  the  bait  is  towed  behind 
the  boat. 

The  yellow-finned  tuna,  which  is  a  beautiful  fish  and  attains  a  weight  of  100 
pounds,  averaging  45,  is  common  in  Japan  and  at  Honolulu,  and  appears  at 
Santa  Catalina  in  September.  The  largest  specimens  are  taken  with  rod  and 
reel  for  market  and  sport.  It  resembles  the  leaping  tuna  but  has  a  short  fin,  with 
the  finlets  a  vivid  lemon-yellow.     (Fig.  11,  pi.  vi.)    It  will  tow  a  boat  2  or  3  miles. 

The  bonito  or  skip  jack  is  another  of  the  beautiful  fishes  of  California  and 
other  seas.  It  is  taken  with  a  6-ounce  rod,  no.  6  line,  small  hook  (7/0),  and 
sardine  bait.  The  hook  in  baiting  is  thrust  through  the  mouth,  out  and  into  the 
side,  the  mouth  of  the  fish  closed  by  being  wound  by  wire.  The  bonito  attains 
a  weight  of  20  pounds  and  is  a  vigorous  fighter,  having  a  peculiar  wriggling 
motion,  and  playing  on  the  surface  entirely.     The  angler  follows  it  in  launches. 

The  oceanic  bonito  comes  in  early  spring.  It  attains  a  weight  of  25  pounds, 
is  beautifully  barred  and  silvery.  It  is  taken  on  a  6-ounce  rod,  and  a  line  that 
will  stand  a  dead  strain  of  12  pounds;  sardine  bait,  a  long  piano  wire  leader, 
6/0  hook  and  light  sinker.  (Fig.  4,  pi.  11.)  The  boat  proceeds  at  a  rate  of  3 
or  4  miles  an  hour  trolling  80  feet  of  line,  and  the  fish  is  gaffed  when  brought  in. 

The  white  sea  bass  is  a  food  and  game  fish  of  California  attaining  a  weight 
of  100  pounds.  It  is  taken  by  market  men  in  nets  at  Monterey,  but  at  Catalina 
is  a  great  game  fish  (fig.  7),  and  to  encourage  anglers  to  use  light  rods  valuable 
prizes  are  offered  for  the  big  specimens.  The  club  record  is  60  pounds.  The 
fish  is  taken  with  a  9-ounce  rod,  9-thread  line,  by  trolling  with  a  sardine  on  a 
7/0  hook  and  6-foot  piano  wire  leader.  It  makes  a  fine  play,  and  requires  skill 
to  land.  The  white  sea  bass  appears  in  May  and  disappears  in  August,  and 
except  in  Monterey  may  be  considered  an  offshore  fish,  being  taken  in  greatest 
numbers  at  the  Channel  Islands  of  California.  In  the  Gulf  of  California  it 
attains  a  weight  of  150  pounds,  and  is  often  taken  in  the  surf  on  the  east  coast 
of  the  Gulf,  north  of  Tiburon.  It  prefers  flying-fish  bait,  but  live  smelt  or 
sardine  is  good;  also  a  Wilson  spoon  in  trolling'  The  live  bait  is  used  in  still- 
fishing,  the  plan  being  to  drop  an  empty  hook  into  a  school  of  sardines  and 
snag  a  fish,  which,  if  there  is  a  white  sea  bass  around,  will  be  taken  at  once. 
Remarkable  catches  are  made  in  Avalon  Bay,  where  the  fish  all  weigh  over  50 
pounds.  There  is  another  species  of  the  fish,  averaging  15  pounds,  called  "sea 
trout,"  which  is  taken  in  the  same  way.  Both  species  are  related  to  the  eastern 
weakfish,  or  squeteague. 


204  BULLETIN    OF  THE   BUREAU   OF  FISHERIES. 

The  yellowtail  of  the  Pacific  coast  is  not  the  yellowtail  of  Florida,  but  is 
closely  related  to  the  amberfish,  or  amber  jack,  of  the  latter  region.  It  is  the 
common  fish  of  southern  California,  where  it  attains  weight  of  loo  pounds.  The 
rod  record  is  60  pounds.  It  is  a  beautiful  fish,  blue,  silver,  with  yellow  median 
line  fins  and  finlets,  and  all  in  all  the  hardest  fighting  fish  known.  It  is  taken 
by  hand  lines  for  the  market  in  deep  water  near  shore  or  at  the  surface.  In 
the  early  season  it  runs  in  schools,  but  breaks  up  and  solitary  fish  are  often 
seen.  If  the  winter  in  southern  California  is  warm  and  dry,  the  yellowtail  is 
taken  every  month  in  the  year,  but  if  cold  the  fish  goes  to  ofi"shore  banks  or 
down  into  very  deep  water,  where  its  food  supply  also  doubtless  winters.  It  is 
taken  from  rowboats  (fig.  8,  pi.  iv)  or  launches,  with  rods  6  or  9  ounce  split  bam- 
boo, 6  feet  or  over  in  length;  medium-sized  reel,  9 -thread  line,  with  6-foot  leader 
of  wire,  7/0  hook,  and  large  flying-fish  or  small  sardine  bait  (large  fish  take  the 
former).  It  can  be  taken  by  still  fishing  or  trolling,  is  a  wharf  fish  as  well, 
and  is  also  taken  under  kelp  patches  miles  out  to  sea.  It  is  the  fish  of  the 
people  in  California,  worth  thousands  to  the  state  as  a  game  fish  (fig,  11,  pi.  vi), 
and  equally  valuable  as  a  food  supply  to  the  masses.     It  spawns  in  the  summer. 

The  barracuda,  found  in  schools  in  California  in  summer,  is  taken  in  gill 
nets,  also  on  light  tackle  rods.  It  is  a  good  food  but  poor  game  fish.  In 
August  the  schools  break  up  and  individual  fish  are  seen.  The  barracuda  takes 
sardine  or  smelt  bait. 

The  ocean  sunfish  (fig.  9,  pi,  v)  taken  for  sport,  attains  a  weight  of  2,200 
pounds  in  California,  and  is  found  all  over  the  world  in  temperate  waters.  It 
takes  bait  but  rarely.  The  author  hooked  one  August  26,  1908," and  landed  it  by 
rushing  at  it  in  a  launch,  gaffing  it  quickly,  and  holding  on  to  it,  despite  its 
rushes.  It  weighed  half  a  ton  doubtless,  and  was  10  feet  high.  This  fish  is 
very  common  in  southern  California  waters.  On  pleasant  days  it  can  be  seen 
jumping,  and  the  pursuit  of  it  constitutes  sport  for  those  who  like  lusty  pas- 
times at  sea.  It  is  generally  taken  with  a  spear,  but  to  hook  it  and  rush  the 
launch  in  and  gaff  it  before  it  goes  down  is  a  game  that  has  no  little  excitement. 
I  have  taken  large  specimens  off  the  Atlantic  coast  in  this  way  and  once  off  the 
Florida  coast.  No  more  extraordinary  creature  can  be  imagined  than  this 
colossus  with  no  appreciable  tail,  a  fish  all  head  with  its  two  huge  fins  pointing 
up  and  down,  dotted  with  waving  parasites,  splashed  and  spotted  with  mem- 
branifera,  sailing  along  in  the  deep  blue  sea.  The  small  ones  go  in  schools. 
The  skin  is  used  as  sandpaper,  the  muscle  as  rubber  for  balls. 

The  California  flying  fish  is  taken  as  food  in  seven  ways:  One  by  setting  a 
gill  net  at  the  surface;  the  fish  is  so  stupid  that  the  moment  it  touches  the  net 
it  stops  and  turns  over  and  is  easily  caught.  The  sportsmanlike  way  to  take 
it  is  to  shoot  it  with  a  shotgun.     This  I  have  accomplished  by  seating  myself 


SPORT   FISHING    IN   CAUFORNIA   AND    FLORIDA.  205 

in  the  bow  of  a  fast  launch,  and  as  the  flying  fish  rises  on  either  hand  shooting 
it  either  to  the  right  or  left.  A  good  dog  might  be  trained  to  spring  and  re- 
trieve flying  fish,  though  the  ordinary  plan  is  to  run  alongside  and  take  them 
with  a  scoop  net.  The  fish  are  in  demand  as  food  but  are  more  valuable  as  bait 
for  tuna  or  yellow-tail  fishing,  bringing  $i  a  dozen  in  the  season  from  May  to 
October.  Numbers  of  people  have  been  struck  by  them.  One  hit  the  writer 
in  the  neck  and  nearly  knocked  him  overboard.  The  fish  does  not  fly  but  soars, 
holding  its  wings  rigid  and  covering  a  distance  of  a  quarter  of  a  mile. 

At  Santa  Catalina  the  sheepshead  is  a  good  game  fish.  It  is  taken  either 
from  the  rocks  or  from  the  boats  near  shore.  '  The  tackle  used  is  an  8  or  9  ounce 
rod,  a  6-thread  line,  and  abalone  or  crayfish  bait.  A  sinker  should  be  used,  as 
the  fish  is  found  on  or  near  the  bottom. 

A  good  hard-fighting  fish  caught  here  is  the  leaping  shark,  taken  from  the 
beach  of  Catalina  Harbor  with  a  light  rod.  Like  the  tarpon,  the  fish  will  leap 
as  soon  as  hooked,  and  for  a  while  makes  a  very  fair  fight. 

SALMON    AND   TROUT   IN    CALIFORNIA. 

One  of  the  finest  game  fishes  in  America  is  the  salmon,  taken  with  rod  and 
reel  in  the  streams  and  rivers  of  Canada.  On  the  Pacific  coast  the  salmon 
congregate  in  Monterey  Bay  before  entering  the  rivers.  At  Monterey,  Santa 
Cruz,  and.Capitola  they  are  fished  for  from  boats,  the  professional  fishermen 
with  big  boats,  using  hand  lines  and  heavy  sinkers,  in  water  40  or  50  feet  deep, 
with  sardine  bait,  but  the  sportsmen  using  a  rod  weighing  9  ounces,  with  a 
9- thread  line  and  7/0  hook  baited  with  smelt,  anchovy,  or  sardine.  A  sinker  is 
needed,  and  an  ingenious  device  is  used  to  release  the  sinker  and  enable  the  man 
to  play  the  fish.  The  line  near  the  hook  is  connected  by  a  thread  on  which  is 
run  a  pipe  sinker  of  lead.  When  the  fish  strikes  the  thread  breaks,  releasing 
the  line,  and  the  angler  plays  the  salmon,  which  comes  to  the  surface  and  leaps, 
making  a  fine  play.     Large  catches  are  made  (fig.  10,  pi.  v). 

California  abounds  in  trout,  and  the  methods  of  angling  are  the  same  as  in 
the  East,  2,  3,  4,  6,  and  8  ounce  split  bamboos  being  the  rods  most  in  vogue, 
with  "  E  "  silk  lines  and  6-foot  leaders  and  one  fly,  of  a  kind  depending  upon  the 
locality.  At  Klamath  Lake,  where  the  giant  rainbows  are  found,  the  "March 
Brown  "  fly  is  the  best,  the  fish  making  a  fine  play,  leaping  from  the  water.  In 
Feather  River,  Plumas  County,  Cal.,  they  are  taken  in  the  same  way.  The  river 
■is  swift,  and  the  fly  fishing  excellent,  big  deep  pools  being  found  everywhere 
here.     A  cork  fly  or  "  grasshopper  "  is  very  killing. 

In  the  Sacramento,  also  in  the  Kern  and  other  streams,  the  fishing  is  excel- 
lent with  the  fly.  The  black  bass  has  been  introduced,  also  the  striped  bass  in 
the  waters  about  San  Francisco  Bay. 


206  BULIyETiN   OF  THE   BUREAU   OF   FISHERIES. 

ON    FLORIDA   COASTS. 

Florida  is  famous  for  its  game  fishes,  and,  except  the  tarpon,  they  are  also 
food  fishes.  The  tarpon  is  the  great  game  fish  of  the  world.  In  some  localities 
it  is  taken  with  hand  lines,  but  the  method  in  vogue  among  sportsmen  is  to  take 
it  with  a  9-ounce  rod,  9-thread  line,  and  lo/o  hook  with  mullet  bait.  The  boat 
(launch  or  rowboat)  trolls  slowly,  with  30  or  40  feet  of  line  out,  and  at  the  strike 
the  fish  goes  into  the  air  in  repeated  leaps,  giving  a  fine  play.  One  hundred  miles 
south  of  Galveston,  on  the  Gulf,  is  the  Aransas  Pass  Tarpon  Club,  a  well-known 
organization,  and  when  brought  to  the  boat  here  the  fish  is  towed  inshore,  meas- 
ured, and  released.  Here,  as  in  Florida  as  well,  in  shallow  water,  the  big 
jewfish  also  is  taken,  with  i6-ounce  rods,  24-thread  line,  large  hook,  and  wire 
leader.  This  fish  attains  a  weight  of  400  or  500  pounds,  is  sluggish,  and  found 
in  holes. 

One  of  the  interesting  food  and  game  fishes  is  the  hogfish,  beautiful  in  rich 
red  tints  and  with  waving  plume-like  fins.  A  hand  line  is  used  for  its  capture, 
the  sinker  on  the  bottom  and  large  hook  2  feet  above,  so  that  it  will  swing 
clear  of  the  coral.  This  is  lowered  in  water  from  30  to  60  feet  deep  in  the  coral, 
and  catches  of  1 5  pounds  are  taken. 

In  shallow  waters  the  most  beautiful  of  all  the  Florida  fishes  is  the  gray 
snapper.  It  is  caught  by  the  professionals  with  hand  lines,  as  above,  with 
crawfish  or  conch  bait;  but  an  8-ounce  bass  rod  is  to  the  sportsman's  taste, 
with  a  fine  no.  6  line,  and  a  bunch  of  small  sardiHes  for  bait.  The  fish  resembles 
a  black  bass,  and  plays  like  one,  but  does  not  jump.  There  are  a  number  of 
snappers,  all  caught  the  same  way. 

Related  to  the  snappers  is  the  beautiful  little  yellowtail,  with  yellow  stripes 
and  fins.  A  6-ounce  rod,  a  no.  6  line,  and  4-inch  hook  baited  with  crawfish  is 
the  lure,  and  on  the  shallow  reef  among  the  gorgonians  or  sea  fans  it  is  found 
in  great  numbers,  affording  good  sport,  besides  being  an  excellent  pan  fish. 
This  fish  is  quite  different  from  the  big  yellowtail  of  the  California  coast. 

Along  the  mainland  is  found  the  sea  trout  or  squeteague,  a  fine  game  fish, 
taken  with  the  same  tackle.  No  fish  makes  a  better  fight.  The  bait  for  it  may 
be  sardine,  smelt,  or  crab. 

Common  wharf  fishes  of  Florida  are  the  porgies,  which  throng  some 
localities  in  myriads.     They  are  good  pan  fish. 

Notable  food  fishes  here  are  the  groupers.  The  red  grouper  is  the  most 
valuable,  and  specimens  weighing  50  pounds  have  been  taken.  It  is  a  deep- 
water  fish,  caught  on  a  hand  line,  with  conch  bait  or  anything  at  hand.  Other 
groupers  are  taken  on  the  same  tackle  (hook  above  the  sinker) . 

The  ladyfish  is  a  splendid  game  fish,  ranging  up  to  6  and  7  pounds,  long, 
slender,  and  silvery.     A  6  or  8  ounce  rod,  6-thread  line,  crab  or  fish  bait  is  the 


SPORT    FISHING    IN    CALIFORNIA    AND    FLORIDA. 

tackle.  Upon  being  hooked  the  fish  leaps  into  the  air  and  literally  dances  over 
the  water  on  its  tail.     The  bonyfish  is  very  similar  in  its  action. 

The  common  pan  fish  on  the  reef  is  the  grunt,  found  literally  in  thousands. 
It  is  rather  a  poor  game  fish,  but  makes  a  fairly  good  play  on  a  6-ounce  trout 
rod.  Any  bait  is  acceptable  to  the  grunt,  but  especially  crayfish.  As  its 
name  suggests,  it  grunts  when  taken  out  of  the  water. 

On  the  reefs  are  a  number  of  fishes  known  as  "  j  acks , ' '  ranging  up  to  1 6  pounds 
and  over.  They  run  in  schools  and  chase  sardines,  and  can  be  caught  with  this 
bait.  Few  fish  make  a  more  game  play,  dashing  through  the  water  and  breaking 
the  line  of  the  novice.  They  are  mostly  caught  on  the  hand  line  trolling,  but 
the  true  way  to  take  them  is  with  a  6-ounce  rod,  6  feet  long,  6  line,  7/0  hook,  and 
sardine  bait.  This  tackle  is  small  and  delicate  for  the  fish,  but  can  take  them  in 
the  hands  of  a  skillful  angler. 

At  Palm  Beach,  the  amberfish  is  taken  with  a  lo-ounce  rod,  21 -thread  line, 
and  sardine  bait.  Boats  are  rowed  out  beyond  the  surf  and  still  fishing  is  the 
method.  This  fish  is  allied  to  the  California  yellowtail,  and  puts  up  a  splendid 
fight.  The  angler  wears  a  belt  with  a  leather  socket  in  which  he  secures  a 
certain  leverage,  and  often  plays  the  fish  an  hour  or  more  before  he  brings  it 
to  gaff.     (Fig.  12,  pi.  VI.)     Amber  jacks  of  50  or  60  pounds  are  taken  in  this  way. 

The  northern  bluefish  is  a  splendid  catch  on  a  9-ounce  rod,  9-thread  line. 
So  are  the  channel  bass,  drumfish,  and  striped  bass.  All  should  be  taken  with 
this  tackle 


^  BuL.  U.  S.  B.  F.,  1908. 


Plate  I. 


Fig.  I. — The  strike. 


Fig.  2. — Gaffing  a  240-pound  capture. 
ANGWNG   FOR   BI,ACK  SEA   BASS,    SANTA   CATAI.INA   ISI,AND. 


BuL.  U.  S.  B.  F.,  1908. 


Plate  II. 


BuL.  U.  S.  B.  F.,  1908. 


Platk  III. 


BuL.  U.  S.  B.  F.,  1908. 


Plate  IV. 


Fig.  7. — A  day's  sport  at  Santa  Catalina  Island  with  white  sea  bass. 


Fig.  8. — The  yellowtail  anglers  of  Avalon  Bay,  California  (Santa  Catalina- Island);  200  to  300  boats  often  seen, 

all  fishing  with  rod  and  reel. 


'■■'^ 


BuL.  U.  S.  B.  F.,  1908. 


Plate  V. 


Fig.  9. — The  record  sunfisli,  Santa  Catalina  Island,  too  heavy  to  weigh;  estimated  at  2,500  pounds. 


Fig.  10. — A  salmon  (rod  and  reel)  catch,  Del  ilonlc,  California. 


BuL.  U.  S.  B.  F.,  1908. 


PLATii  VI. 


RETURN  TO  the  circulation  desk  of  any 
University  of  California  Library 

or  to  the 

NORTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 
BIdg.  400,  Richmond  Field  Station 
University  of  California 
Richmond.  CA  94804-4698 

ALL  BOOKS  MAY  BE  RECALLED  AFTER  7  DAYS 

•  2-month  loans  may  be  renewed  by  calling 
(510)642-6753 

•  1-year  loans  may  be  recharged  by  bringing 
books  to  NRLF 

•  Renewals  and  recharges  may  be  made 
4  days  prior  to  due  date 


DUE  AS  STAMPED  BELOW 


JUN  0  7  2005 


m 


DD20  12M  1-05 


,i-50m-l,'33 


